Learn to Let Go in Jill Shalvis’s ‘Second Chance Summer’ [REVIEW]

A new summer is the perfect opportunity for new beginnings. (Photo courtesy Canva)

Tragic loss. Painful memories. One chance at a fresh start. When a woman has nothing else to lose, should she go home to lick her wounds or take her chances on her own? Find out in Jill Shalvis’s powerful novel of love and redemption, Second Chance Summer.

Forever

They say you can’t go home again. But Lily Danville doesn’t really have much choice. Without money or a roof over her head, she has nowhere else to go to rebuild her life except to the very place she vowed to leave in her rear view mirror forever: her hometown of Cedar Ridge, Colorado.

This quiet hamlet is flooded with memories. It is where her sister and father died. And it’s where she shared a kiss with the man her sister once loved. But it will also prove to be the place whose residents help her overcome her fears, attend to her wounds, and find the desire to begin living again no matter what hard knocks she’s faced along the way.

When she takes a job at the town’s hottest new resort, she’s excited to have a reason to get up every morning, at least until she realizes that the Kincaid family owns the place. She wonders how she can possibly face the man who gave her the most unforgettable kiss of her life on a daily basis without feeling like she’s betraying her sister.

And yet, rugged firefighter Aidan Kincaid is just what the doctor ordered. As the two of them reconnect, they begin a healing journey they both need to take. Together, they discover that talking about the past helps them fully embrace life and dwell consciously in the present.

Second Chance Summer is a story about family and the different forms it can take. Aidan comes from a big noisy clan who looks out for one another, even if he tends to take the charge of protector. Lily, on the other hand, is a loner who has had to rely on her own wits for far too long, and as such has a difficult time understanding the complexities and nuances of family, and what a nurturing force it can be.

But this is also a story about letting go… of pain, of doubt, and of the memories that prevent us from living and loving. As such, it is a story fraught with emotion. As readers, we can’t help but invest in the Kincaid clan, the community, and in Aidan and Lily’s blossoming relationship. If you enjoy stories by Debbie Macomber and Sherryl Woods, you’re going to love Jill Shalvis’s new Cedar Ridge series. Don’t miss Second Chance Summer!

For a complete book list and a daily blog chronicling her I-Love-Lucy attempts at having it all (the writing, the kids, a life…), visit her home on the Web at JillShalvis.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

About Heather FinkHeather Fink is a writer, bibliophile and award-winning librarian who loves to introduce the next generation of readers to the wonderful world of books. She currently resides in Texas.